yes thats true. the shafi3iys have very strict conditions in some matters of taharah. for them one of the conditions of wudu is washing the parts of the body in the prescribed order. plus you have to have a conscious intention to start with. also the time gap between washing two parts should not be long. in hanafis, you could have finished the masah, get a phone call, talk on the phone for 20 minutes, and come back and just wash your feet and the wudu would be valid if you did not do anything that violates the wudu in those 20 minutes. (of course it is makruh to speak unnecessarily during wudu). the shafi3iys have to repeat the entire wudu. also they're very big on verbal intentions. you could take a dip in a pool and still not considered to have completed a ghusl if you didn't declare the intention for it. WAllahu a3lam.
on this note; if someone knows this, I would appreciate a correction if I am incorrect: for hanafis, if one forgets to complete a prescribed action in wudu one does not need to repeat the wudu from the beginning but one merely needs to complete that (specific) action [part that needs to be washed]. for shafi'is however, they would have to begin the wudu afresh.
This is interesting................I never knew this. I was always of the belief that one should repeat such an action if in doubt. Hmmm.
Question: What does a person who, after performing ablution, has such doubts, “Did I apply masah on my head?” or “Am I with ablution?” do? ANSWER They are waswasas [evil suggestions insinuated by the devil]; just ignore them. You do not have to renew your ablution. http://www.myreligionislam.com/detail.asp?Aid=4373
